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January 18, 2005

TrendyGeek Pod Shield

You bought your iPod for its cool look (ok some of you may have bought it for the music… yawn…) and so you probably don’t want to cover it up with a chunky case. TrendyGeek have found a great way to sell contact paper at a ridiculously inflated price in their bid for a share of the iPod case market. The clear plastic film is designed to adhere to the iPod using high static as opposed to glue, so you can remove it and reposition it without leaving any sticky residue.

First impressions
The case comes in a flat pack that includes 3 screen protectors and 3 stainless-steel back protectors. The sheets are shaped to completely cover the metal back and wrap over the sides, leaving the corners exposed, and the front parts are just a bit bigger than the screen. The clear plastic film is not sticky; it works like the window stickers that you put in your car when you really love a radio station – held on by static and pure devotion.

Cover the iPod
It is easy to put the film on – even if you are suffering from the alcohol shakes it doesn’t matter, as you can reposition it as much as you want. The Pod Shield forms an almost invisible layer on the silver back, save for a few tiny air bubbles (which are really hard to prevent but which don’t lessen the appearance drastically. Making sure the iPod is totally clean and free from any lint or dirt particles reduces the air bubbles). The front screen protector is not great: the air bubbles are much more apparent and although the screen is still obviously viewable, it is like looking at the world with a scratch in your glasses. There is also the problem of the exposed parts of your iPod – the whole front is not covered (apart from the screen) and hence completely at the mercy of the coins in your pocket.

However, the Pod Shield does perform its job on the parts that it covers. The skin is thick enough to form a decent layer of protection yet thin enough to almost not be there. The best effects are achieved when the iPod is totally clean (ideally brand new and so that no scratches are there to start with). The Pod Shield does get a bit scruffy after a period of normal use, but when it has seen better days you can just replace it (probably why they give you 3 in a pack). A pleasant surprise was that the corners did not peel off or curl up, so it didn’t start looking too tatty.

Summary
In summary, the TrendyGeek Pod Shield worked well on the back of the iPod; on the screen it served its purpose but was not the ideal protector where clarity was concerned. A good aspect was that it worked for the 1st and 2nd generation iPods, which are so rarely catered for in today’s iPod accessories market. As possible improvements go, we would like to see the screen protector extended to cover the entire front of the iPod. In addition, it has the potential to cover the click wheel on any of the generations of iPod as it is thin enough to retain the touch sensitivity on the click and scroll wheels.

Posted by ipodworld at January 18, 2005 10:24 AM

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